A few years ago, after our third child was born, I realized I needed to lose some weight and decided to track my calories and exercise more often. Tracking calories is the most effective way to understand what you are putting into your body and how much of an impact it has on your weight. With diligence and persistence, I lost a little bit over twenty-five pounds and tracked my calories for over 1,000 days in a row. It felt like a new lifestyle I had created, and I was proud of it.
Then I stopped tracking.
I had built good eating and exercise habits, so I was fine for the first 3-6 months – I didn’t put on any weight. Slowly, things changed, COVID hit the globe, we had another baby, I went back to work, and my weight has crept into uncomfortable territory. I do not want that weight to return.
I began tracking my calories again (a few weeks ago) and have realized something is missing. The motivation is not the same. I feel tempted to cheat. I want to eat something I know will not fit my calorie budget or I’ll eat a small snack (two or three pretzels for example) and I won’t track it. This is the definition of not being in integrity. This is not okay with me. So, I decide to talk to my most trusted advisor and friend, my wife, to tell her what I am wrestling with and to seek her counsel.
This is what she told me.
Josh, you are always future focused – you need to make sure your goals are grounded in a future you desire. When you have the alignment between your why and your goals, specifically why you are tracking your calories, you will be able to make good choices when you feel weak.
I knew this about myself, but I needed help discovering it. What motivates me is correlated with my strengths and values. What motivates you will be different and correlate with your strengths and values.
The invitation I have for you is to write down one thing you are struggling with. Ask yourself how you might be able to leverage your strengths to dial in on the right motivations. Consider finding someone to talk to that you trust can help you uncover what you may not immediately see.
